Anecdotes Flashcards
E2E UV (limited data)
Backup: FHI Ventures for E2E
Not sure we need this!
Let me tell you about the time I was hired to help a VC with deal sourcing and ended up raising $1M for a startup
- During my tenure at UV, I was tasked with improving the VC’s pipeline by identifying potential deals. Through my conversation with ecosystem stakeholders, I identified gaps in access to:
o Entrepreneurial training
o Coaching, as most incubator and accelerator managers didn’t have business experience themselves
o Mentorship - I’d identified a critical pain point felt by investors and startup entrepreneurs alike.
- I started exploring potential solutions, worked with a team to develop a proof of concept and validated market demand with a subset of accelerators.
- Feedback confirmed strong interest, which inspired my MDPs to invest more money into developing an MVP…
- …and with an MVP in hand and validated market demand, we were able to secure $1M to bring it to market
- We did a phased rollout, gathering feedback throughout to refine our offering and ensure it delivered value.
- R: The program quickly became a cornerstone resource for startups in Bangalore and was later adopted by a number of VCs as a requirement for all their portfolio companies
- L: I’ll admit it was unorthodox working for a VC & pitching a startup, but when I compare the success of our offering to that of most startups, I attribute our success to understanding a critical pain point in the ecosystem & developing true product-market fit.
GV CEO (limited data)
So, I started to do more research.
* Startup entrepreneurs – business models and market trends
* Talked to internal team members to better understand our customers and see if we could capitalize on some of the market trends I was hearing about
* I also networked with contacts at Twitter and Facebook who I learned were prioritizing their reach to rural customers, our target demographic
Through these conversations, I identified a potential solution: to diversify our offerings to include online services in order to capitalize on our customers shifting from offline feature phones to online smartphones – as data and tech became more affordable. It would open us up to potential partnerships with big tech and developing rev through ads.
I developed a simple profitability model then strategically presented the idea to my CFO…
GV Team
Female at a company of much older, highly Conservative engineers who primarily spoke Hindi.
1. I – F – O – C – H
* It was a challenging dynamic to say the least. To add fuel to the fire, I was asked to lead a team on a high priority GTM about a month in. I quickly learned while briefing the team on the project that my presence wasn’t necessarily appreciated. In talking timelines, someone on the team asked “When do you leave?”, which was followed by a bit of snickering.
* I learned this was due to two reasons: 1) the team didn’t believe I cared like all the fellows before me who came and went; 2) they didn’t believe I had any value to add since I didn’t have an engineering background. I tried to focus on what I could do to improve our working dynamic:
* H | I enrolled in Hindi classes
* U | Enrolled in UI/UX design courses and started learning Java to follow along on GitHub
* L | I made sure to have lunch with the team every day, sprinkling as much Hindi into the conversation as possible
As a result, H – B – O – P
CoP Phase II (shitstorm, E2E)
Backup: Commonwealth survey (shitstorm), UV or FHI Ventures for E2E
Let me tell you about the time that I had to assume the role of a consultant two grades above my own less than a year at BCG.
I was staffed on a case for a global multilateral tasked with publishing their yearly ESG report, which analyzed over 17,000 responses to a 100-question survey covering sustainability targets across five key areas (climate, governance, labor, etc.). Due to the high-profile nature of the client and the sensitivity of the report, numerous stakeholders had to be involved in the process, making it a complex undertaking with a tight 4-week deadline. And the team was very lean—just a Principal at 30% LOE, an analyst, and me.
On Day 1, after reading the SOW & creating the work plan, I realized we were understaffed but I thought it was just going to be a 4-week burner. Then the data arrived…
* It was disaggregated, scattered across multiple databases,
* riddled with errors (inconsistent units, incomplete data),
* and required extensive normalization before analysis could begin
When we failed to meet our internal deadline to have the data aggregated by mid-Week 1, I immediately reached out to my network and identified heavy quants that were on the beach in order to stay on track
* It was January, so I fortunately had my pick of the litter
* and I didn’t get any pushback from my Pr bc they weren’t billable and she inherently trusted me after working on several cases together
I was able to pull together a team of five, one for each part of the ESG report
From there, I scheduled regular int. check-ins with the team and ext. check-ins with client stakeholders to get buy-in on our ongoing analysis and troubleshoot any issues that surfaced…and there were plenty – with daily data inconsistencies and the need to load balance as analysts who were able to volunteer time had to leave the project once staffed – but we took it in stride and were able to:
* Leveraged Alteryx to aggregate the data and start cleaning by the end of the first week
* Cleaning and started to analyze the second week
* We developed Tableau dashboards the third week
* And finalized our deliverables for publishing the fourth week
I earned my first perfect score at BCG, the client was thrilled, but it wasn’t easy.
WTC: We would not have been as successful had we not had structured workstreams, very strong, transparent communication, and close collaboration, both internally within our team and externally with client counterpart.
AABC: It allowed us to stay aligned, anticipate risks, balance workloads, and course-correct in real time.
Commonwealth Survey (shitstorm, stakeholders)
While leading a strategic realignment case for 13 government agencies, I was responsible for developing a large-scale stakeholder survey to gather critical input. I defined key questions but delegated final execution to a team member.
Once the survey launched, I realized too late that the majority of responses were designed as text entries instead of choice-select, creating a major bottleneck:
* My team couldn’t efficiently analyze responses the text responses in time, delaying the project by weeks
* The client resisted changes, believing open-text responses provided richer insights
* MDPs hesitated to modify the survey, fearing client pushback
This was my failure—I had assumed the structured format was implemented throughout the survey when I did a quick review but that was not the case.
So, to fix the issue without alienating the client, I did 4 things:
1. Calculated the operational and financial risk of leaving the issue unaddressed.
2. Designed a Hybrid Solution
* Designed a hybrid survey format that used multiple-choice for most questions, mandatory open-text for core insights, and optional open-text for non-core areas.
3. Piloted the Solution to Secure Buy-In
* Tested the new survey with lower-level client counterparts, demonstrating how it improved efficiency without losing qualitative depth.
* Used data-backed insights to show how structured responses would streamline analysis while preserving key themes
4. Secured MDP & Client Approval
* Presented the findings to my MDP, who approved taking the solution to the client
* The client requested minor tweaks but ultimately approved the new survey, allowing us to course correct and stay true to our project timeline
This experience reinforced that while delegation and trust are critical, I am ultimately responsible for the final output. No matter how straightforward a deliverable seems—even when I’ve played a key role in its design—verifying before pushing it externally is essential to ensuring quality and alignment.
But when mistakes do happen and they will, being able to proactively escalate risks and use data to drive stakeholder buy-in is essential to turning potential setbacks into solutions and keeping the project on track.
Strengths
I’ve consistently heard three adjectives used over the years: logical, collaborative, and gritty
1. Practical – So what? Why?
2. Curious – there’s always opportunity to learn something, always find value HQ outputs
3. Gritty / Resourceful
Commonwealth (stakeholder MGMT)
Not sure we need this one!
Would you like to hear about the highest touch case I had at BCG?
S: I was staffed on a strategic realignment case in the public sector, where we were tasked with revising the goals and operational plans of 13 departments and aligning them with the overarching vision set by the executive committee. Initial conversations with internal stakeholders revealed significant misalignment both within and across departments, making it crucial to effectively manage stakeholder expectations and align their priorities.
A: The first step to achieving this was identifying the key stakeholders: the executive committee, department heads, non-leadership department employees, external vendors, and the beneficiaries of the services provided by each department.
We had to engage each of them because they would all influence our final recommendations but buy-in from the executive committee and the department heads was most important.
So, we set up weekly meetings with the executive committee, biweekly meetings with the department heads, and we surveyed the others with occasional touchpoints with external vendors.
R: We had a very lean team to accomplish all of this, but this approach enabled us to engage meaningfully with stakeholders and ensure that they felt heard and bought into the recommendation.
L: They felt as if they had developed the rec with our help rather than the other way around, which resulted in very strong alignment on our end recommendations – to the point that we received a standing ovation for our work at the end of our case.
UNGC Process (limited data, process)
On my very first case at BCG, I was tasked with a reorg for a global multilateral organization seeking to improve their operational efficiency, but I faced a key challenge: there was very limited data. While I could verify job vacancy rates and employee turnover were high, I lacked critical information on why…
…Armed with this data, I explored organizational solutions focused on addressing leadership’s lack of transparency into their annual planning process and also monitoring the quantity of unplanned initiatives.
FHI-V(cross-functional, E2E)
Back-up: COP Phase II
I joined [name] at a pivotal time when the VC had just one month to vet over 250 companies for investment in 5. It was a massive undertaking with a tight deadline and no established process.
As the only team member with impact investing experience, I was asked to lead the process with a newly-formed cross-functional team of 8.
(EMAC) I was responsible for:
1. Designing an efficient Evaluation framework
2. Managing multiple workstreams
3. Ensuring Alignment
4. Delivering Cohesive investment recommendations to the C-suite on time.
(EWWS) To execute effectively, I:
1. I first designed a standardized evaluation framework so each company was assessed on the same metrics
2. I then broke down the tasks into 4 MECE workstreams, assigning a lead to own each:
a. I asked the former banker to lead each company’s financial analysis
b. I placed one former management consultant on designing the market model
c. and another on analyzing customer demand
d. And I had the data scientist analyze the competitive landscape
3. I established a fast-paced workplan with weekly milestones and daily check-ins to track progress and troubleshoot any issues
4. I held regular team syncs to ensure alignment on findings, decide who to cut, and integrate findings into a cohesive deliverable
As a result, we were able to deliver five fully vetted investment cases on time, earning C-suite praise as the most efficient evaluation they had seen, which led to our framework being adopted for future investments.
(WOA) That experience reinforced that structured workstreams, clear ownership, and proactive alignment are essential to driving cross-functional success.
Commonwealth Pivoting
I was leading a strategic realignment case tasked with revamping the strategies of 13 government departments to align with their executive committee’s existing mission, values, and strategic goals.
We were well into the project when we encountered a major curveball:
🔹 Midway through the engagement, the executive committee decided to overhaul its own mission, values, and strategic goals.
🔹 This meant the work we had already completed—aligning each department’s strategy to the old framework—was now misaligned and needed to be revised
(PRET-BAR) To adapt, I:
1. First, paused all department-level strategy revisions to avoid redoing unnecessary work
2. Restructured the team so that
o half focused on integrating the new executive strategy
o while the other half conducted a gap analysis to identify which departments required a full overhaul vs. minor adjustments
3. Once we analyzed the gaps, I prioritized execution:
o Departments with the greatest strategic misalignment were revised first
o Those with minimal impact were streamlined and accelerated to keep us on track
4. We set up regular touchpoints w/ department leaders to ensure buy-in, fast approvals with minimal resistance
And we were able to successfully re-align all 13 department strategies with the revised executive framework within our initial timeline –due in large part to having been initially ahead of schedule and also accelerating the deadlines for the minimally impacted departments.
The client was thrilled—we even received a standing ovation from the department heads on our final day, an incredibly rare response for consultants.
(RESQ-OC) I think the standing ovation was a testament to how even when business priorities shift, a strategic approach that reallocates resources, balances execution speed with quality, and fosters open collaboration can not only keep the project on track but it can also strengthen stakeholder trust.
About Me
- so I pivoted to consulting where I was lucky to gain that cross-cutting view into operating and growing a business
- but I found that I felt most fulfilled when I worked on digital transformation cases, working cross-functionally with teams and leadership to successfully bring digital solutions to market…
- However, those end-to-end GTM opportunities are very limited at BCG
- so, as I explore next steps, I’m prioritizing working at innovative tech firms, like Google, where I can continue to lead multi-disciplinary projects, end-to-end, and deliver transformative value to the end user
- Which is what brings me to speak to you today
Why Google? Why this team? Why this role?
I’ve always Admired Google’s mission of organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful.
Having grown up with Limited resources myself, discovering Google transformed my ability to learn, grow, and connect with the world.
Its Ethos of solving problems for everyone that resonates with me.
I see this Team’s work as an extension of that mission, developing intuitive, seamless, accessible products that create radically helpful experiences for users everywhere.
But what Excites me most about the opportunity to work on this team is how it operates at the intersection of AI, software, and hardware, which is an incredibly rare opportunity as I’m sure you know.
Working in this role would enable me to continue doing what I love – leveraging my background in strategy consulting, program management, and product development – while deepening my expertise across these 3 domains…which is why I’m thrilled to be considered for the opportunity.
Why transition? Why now?
You know, I’ve loved my time at BCG. I’ve had a valuable experience developing my skills in strategy and operations.
But, while my time was rewarding, I always envisioned pivoting after a couple of years once I was able to achieve 3 goals:
1. Improve my strategy & operations skills
2. Refine my management skills, both project and team management
3. Gain exposure across industries and business models to identify where I wanted to be long-term
…which is why I’m particularly excited about this role and industry.
Delisting (Stakeholder Management, persuasion)
Would you like to hear about the time that I managed to get alignment on an issue that a marquee client was contesting for over two years?
I was staffed on a case for a global multilateral organization that was interested in improving the credibility and value of the data it collected through its reporting platform.
However, after conducting thorough market research, I found that investors, members who used the platform, and ecosystem players saw little value in it.
A delisting protocol was the clear solution, but it had been a contentious debate across departments within the organization for over two years with no resolution.
–
To drive buy-in and alignment, I did four things:
1. First, I organized a deck with my market findings and a draft of a preliminary delisting protocol
2. Second, I set up small group conversations with key decision makers in each department that I knew I needed buy-in from
3. Third, I met with those stakeholders and presented my data-backed recommendation for a delisting protocol. Because I had done thorough market research, stakeholders shifted from resisting the idea to discussing what it should look like.
3. Fourth, after securing preliminary buy-in, I organized a 30-minute group session with 20 participants to finalize the decision. I presented three delisting options with pros and cons, ensuring stakeholders had a voice in shaping the final framework.
Because they were already aligned and I had secured buy-in from everyone on the call, the discussion was collaborative rather than contentious. And through unanimous agreement – mind you, legal was also on the call – we were able to resolve a two-year deadlock in just 30 minutes.
I remember my Principal who had been trying to get them to align on this for two years just being in utter shock after the call and she kept on repeating “Wow! Wow! Wow! What just happened?”
This experience reinforced the importance of data-driven insights and stakeholder engagement to facilitate buy-in, alignment, and ownership of the final recommendation.
Weaknesses
- Overachiever: overdelivery, scope creep; Solution: So what? Why?
- Perfectionist: time suck; Solution: workplan, timebox, iterate
- Workaholic: unable to disconnect from work, team pressure; Solution: check-ins, PTOs
